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January 30, 2014

San Francisco Advocates Seek Free Crack Pipes to Prevent HIV

The HIV Prevention Planning Council in San Francisco is exploring whether the city should consider distributing free crack cocaine smoking pipes to prevent the spread of the virus, CBS San Francisco reports. The group asserts that crack pipe distribution programs in Canada have been successful at HIV prevention. Although sharing pipes doesn’t have the same transmission risk as used needles, the program would primarily be an outreach effort to crack users, who are at high risk for HIV. Reactions from the mayor and city health officials have been negative.

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